Cookie-swap parties are festive ways to celebrate the holidays

CONCORD, N.H. -- Forget pairing foods and wine. I need help matching appetizers and cookies.

This will be our second year hosting a holiday cookie-swap party, a festive, if fattening, way to get together with friends while enjoying good food and drink without having to do all the heavy lifting in the kitchen.

The concept is pretty simple: Invite a dozen or so friends or couples, asking each to bring two to three dozen of their favorite holiday cookies (depending on the number of intended guests).

During the party, your guests can sample the cookies. At the end they get to take home a few of each.

Be sure to ask guests to include in their R.S.V.P. the type of cookie they will bring. This will make it easier to avoid a dozen batches of chocolate chip cookies.

But back to my problem -- what to serve with all the cookies.

Obviously, the first rule must be -- nothing sweet. And since this isn't a sit-down party, everything should be finger-friendly.

For this gathering we like to offer guests a choice between two cocktails. Last year our invitation offered guests the chance to vote between several options and we served the two most popular.

For food, I wanted to keep it simple. Sticking with the color theme set by the drinks, we've decided on skewers of cherry tomatoes, tiny mozzarella balls and fresh basil, and mini sweet peppers stuffed with cheese.

Cherry Martini

1/2 teaspoon cherry-flavored syrup

1 maraschino cherry

2 teaspoons chopped papaya or mango

1 ounce vodka

Small ice cubes or crushed ice

Pour the cherry-flavored syrup in a martini glass and place the cherry on top. Top with papaya or mango. Carefully pour the vodka over the fruit. Top with a bit of ice.

Makes 1 serving.

(Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, December 1999)

Champagne Punch

(Start to finish 1 hour, 10 minutes active)

12-ounce package fresh cranberries

1 bunch fresh mint leaves

2 cups pomegranate juice

3 cups tangerine juice (about 7 tangerines)

5 cups cranberry juice cocktail

2 bottles chilled Champagne (or other sparkling wine)

To make swizzle sticks, spear three cranberries alternately with two mint leaves on wooden skewers. Prepare 15 to 20 skewers. Place skewers on a baking sheet. Cover with damp paper towels and refrigerate up to one hour.

In a large punch bowl or pitcher, stir together the fruit juices. Fill glasses with ice and ladle about 1/2 cup punch into each glass. Top with Champagne. Garnish each glass with a swizzle stick.

Makes 20 servings.

(Recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine, January 2005)

Tomato-Basil Skewers

(Start to finish 5 minutes)

5 cherry tomatoes

5 small mozzarella balls

5 fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice each tomato in half. Thread one half several inches down a bamboo skewer, cut side facing up. Next thread a basil leaf, followed by one mozzarella ball. Finish with the second half of the tomato, cut side down.

Arrange the completed skewers on a serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Makes 5 skewers.

(Recipe from EatingWell magazine, January 2006)

Cheese 'n' Herb Mini Sweet Peppers

(Start to finish 25 minutes)

30 mini sweet peppers (about 12 ounces), mixed red, yellow and orange

18 ounces semisoft goat cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, tarragon, basil or thyme

Leaving the stem intact, cut a slit from the stem to the bottom tip of each pepper. Squeeze gently to open and remove and discard seeds. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the goat cheese and herbs and mix well. Gently squeezing the peppers to open, carefully spoon in the cheese mixture, allowing some to show outside the pepper. Arrange stuffed peppers on a platter and garnish with fresh herbs.

Makes 30 peppers.

(Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, December 2001)